Highland Park

Introduction:

Highland Park Distillery holds the title of being Scotland’s most northerly distillery, located on Orkney’s north island. It offers an impressive range of official bottlings. The core range includes 12, 18, 21, 25, 30, and 40-year-old expressions. Special bottlings include the “Valhalla” range, named after Norse gods, and the Orcadian Vintage series with bottlings from 1964 to 1976. Highland Park is also a key component in the Famous Grouse Whisky blend.

Production:

Water is sourced from Cattie Maggie’s Spring near the distillery, contributing to Highland Park’s unique flavor. The distillery produces an impressive 2.5 million liters of Single Malt annually. While most of it is sold as Single Malt, a significant portion is sent to Glenturret (Famous Grouse’s distillery) for blending.

Pot Stills:

Highland Park operates with four pot stills: two wash stills (20,000 liters each) and two spirit stills (18,000 liters each). The pear-shaped stills have spherical lids and conical necks, without constrictions or reflux bowls. This results in a medium-heavy new make spirit typical of Island Whiskies.

Maltings:

Highland Park is one of the few distilleries that still partially uses its own floor maltings, an impressive feat considering its production capacity. Peated maltings sourced from Hobbister Moor are used, providing a sweet, heathery peat flavor. The distillery also incorporates unpeated malt sourced from large malt houses. The proportion of peated and unpeated malt is carefully weighed to determine the desired smokiness.

Fermentation:

Eleven wooden washbacks are used for fermentation, filled with 29,200 liters. After a 65-hour fermentation period, the resulting beer with 8% alcohol content is transferred to the stills.

Warehouse:

Highland Park has 26 stone houses, with 23 used as warehouses. Nineteen are dunnage warehouses with traditional mud floors, while the rest are racked warehouses. Orkney’s climate provides ideal conditions for whisky maturation. Dry Oloroso Sherry-seasoned casks contribute to the fruity, spicy, and colorful flavor of the spirit. Highland Park utilizes cask harmonization, combining whiskies of different maturities in a cask to ensure flavor consistency and balance.

History:

Highland Park claims to have been established in 1798, though the exact founding date is uncertain due to illicit distillation prevalent in the area. The first license to distill whisky was granted in 1826. Ownership changed over the years, with notable milestones including the purchase by James Grant in 1895 and the acquisition by Highland Distillers in 1937. In 1979, Highland Park shifted focus to marketing their Single Malt, which proved successful. The distillery opened a visitor’s center in 1986 and underwent renovations after its acquisition by the Erdington Group and William Grant & Sons in 1999. Highland Park continues to release new expressions and expand under new ownership.

Visitor’s Centre:

Highland Park’s visitor center is highly regarded and offers tours, a multimedia show, personalized bottling, and an extensive range of whiskies in the gift shop.

Visitor information:

The Highland Park Distillery
Holm Road, Kirkwall
Orkney KW15 1SU
Tel: +44 (0)1856-873107